Detroit Lions draft: If Dee Milliner not available, plenty of cornerbacks in later rounds

Alabama's Dee Milliner (28) breaks up a pass intended for Notre Dame's Tyler Eifert during the first half of the BCS National Championship college football game Monday, Jan. 7, 2013, in Miami. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Just like in years past, the Lions will likely look to the draft for a cornerback or two or more.

While it's early yet, Dee Milliner, a cornerback from the national championship Alabama team, is at the top of the heap among corners for the NFL draft which starts April 25.

Without question, he appears to be the best corner in the draft. The Lions own the fifth overall pick, so they have a shot.

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However, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper has Milliner going to the Eagles with the fourth overall pick.

Kiper names four cornerbacks who could be second-round picks:

-- Desmond Truffant (6-foot, 186 pounds) from Washington.

-- Leon McFadden (5-foot-10, 190 pounds) from San Diego State.

-- Johnthan Banks (6-foot-1, 185 pounds) from Mississippi State.

-- Jordan Poyer (5-foot-11, 190 pounds) from Oregon State.

That's not all.

"I'll give you another guy who's going to be at the

Senior Bowl that's really moving up is Will Davis from Utah State, a real good year at Utah State, a key guy for them, a good football team,'' Kiper said in a conference call on Wednesday. "... "I think Will Davis could be in the second-round discussion and be a nice pick.''

CBSsports.com ranks Davis as the seventh-best cornerback in the draft and agrees with Kiper that he could be a second-round pick.

Xavier Rhodes (6-foot-1, 217 pounds) is considered the second-best corner at this point. He played at Florida State, the alma mater of Lions general manager Martin Mayhew.

Kiper also likes Logan Ryan (6-foot, 190) out of Rutgers.

It's not like the Lions' cornerback cupboard is bare but there's no depth. Plus starters Chris Houston and Jacob Lacey are unrestricted free agents so there is no guarantee they will be signed.

They do have 30-year-old Ron Bartell under contract after signing him in December due to the amount of injuries.

Perhaps you remember draft weekend in April 2012. The Lions desperately needed cornerbacks and yet in the first two rounds took an offensive lineman (Riley Reiff) and a wide receiver coming off ACL surgery (Ryan Broyles).

Before the three days of the draft were over, the Lions had selected three corners -- Bill Bentley in the third round, Chris Greenwood in the fifth round and Jonte Green in the sixth.

Bentley was projected as a starter, but popped out his shoulder in a preseason game and was never the same. Greenwood was injured in organized team activities in Maya, had surgery and never played or practiced.

That opened the door for Green who made the most of his opportunity.

In the end, Green saw the most game day action of the three. He played in 15 games and started in six of those. Mayhew said they never would have guessed this on draft day.

"He really showed some promise, he's got some upside, he's got some size (6-foot, 184 pounds), he's physical enough,'' Mayhew said. "He made a couple plays on the ball. He's really strong and he's gotten stronger since he got here. He's put on about 10 pounds since he got here. He's got some upside for next year. We think he'll be in the mix next year.''

So come draft weekend, cornerback will be considered a position of need again. Yet all three corners from the 2012 draft have a chance at being special. It's too soon to tell.

Lions fans have run out of patience, which is understandable, but most cornerbacks take time to grow into the NFL.